Manchester needs you! You probably know the Greater Manchester branches of CAMRA organise the magnificent Manchester Beer and Cider Festival and have done so since its inception four years ago. We have now found our new (and hopefully permanent) home in the centre of Manchester in the Manchester Central Convention centre – which you may know better as G-Mex – and are already planning for the 2018 (24th – 27th January) and the 2019 (23rd – 26th January) events.

While we have an excellent Organising Committee, there is always room for new blood and new and different skills. We want to give more members the opportunity to get involved in the festival and want to assure every CAMRA member in the region that we are by no means a closed shop. Can you help? Professional qualifications that would make our event better:

Do you hold a Security Industry Authority badge – or would you like to be trained to get an SIA badge? We have paid for several members to gain such qualifications that some have then used to gain a new form of employment or enhance their own employment opportunities. Are you already, or have been, employed in the pub or brewing industry? Do you have design skills? Event Management skills? Organisational skills? Or are you just willing to get involved to ensure that our event becomes better and better every year?

Beer knowledge – if you have visited the event as a customer you will be aware of how big the event has become and how modern the event has become. Are you interested in craft beer? We now sell craft beer in both keykeg and cask form. We also research and purchase foreign beers from all over Europe. Have you an interest in Cider and Perry? Mead? Fruit wines – then yes, we have bars that sell these. You could help us source and sell them. Customer care and ‘back room’ skills: Do you have customer care skills? Interface well with the public? Or are you a “back room” person? We have opportunities for anybody who wishes to stay in the background whether during or before the event.

We need help in designing posters, website work, designing beer mats, thinking up a logo, ordering polo and T shirts for sale. Are you interested in food? You could organise the food for the Volunteers from a local hostelry? Or organise many other things? You could get involved with selling VIP packages? You could meet and greet people coming to the event? You could help to serve beers to customers who have paid for tasting sessions? Know your way around websites and coding, or systems automation? We need you.

There are plenty of opportunities to volunteer for all aspects of the festival, both before and during it.

Many of you will have skills from your working life that we could use in the organisation of the event or during the event itself. To reassure you, many jobs in these days of electronic communications and the good old fashioned phone don’t involve a lot of time at meetings, so perhaps you could think of offering us a little of your time and helping the campaign at the same time? We’re also keen to recruit deputies – so you could work alongside more experienced members to get a feel of festival organisation. It’s not all one way There are benefits to helping organise a beer festival…

We reward all participants with free beer (or cider). Free Volunteers T-shirt. Commemorative Polo pr T-shirt at cost price Free food during set up and take down. Organised nights out during set up. Some travel and accommodation benefits. A volunteer party with food, drink and awards. The pride you’ll feel of putting on a nationally-recognised event that attracts more than 13,500 visitors and serves over 62,000 pints.

I promise you that you’ll be very welcome and you’ll make new friends for sure. You can do as little or much as you feel able. If this is for you, or you want to know more, just drop me an email or ring me at the number below, or go to http://mancbeerfest.uk/volunteer

CAMRA Independents’ Day Treasure Hunt 2017

event has now been confirmed for Saturday 8th July and will begin at the New Oxford. Arrive 11am for Registration and 11.30am Departure.

It is a day of three stages:

1) Meet in the Host Pub (This year it is the New Oxford, Bexley Square, Salford, from 11a.m. onwards on Saturday 8th July where you register your team (£1 per person) then solve a not-too-difficult puzzle and collect your entry sheet, this gives you the names of eight pubs in inner Salford and Manchester – all within walking distance, though there are some free buses.

2)Most of the day is spent browsing the pubs, looking for the answers to 24 cryptic clues (3 per pub) and sampling the occasional Real Ale.

Please also take time to Eat at one of the many fine food establishments along the route or bring your own packed lunch.

3) Return to the Host Pub NO LATER THAN 6PM where question papers are handed in, checked and scored. The winners will receive a cash prize or sometimes beer tokens.

It is the duty (and privilege) of the winning team to engrave their name on the next available badge, to be the custodians of the trophy for one year – usually displaying it in a pub of their choice – and to return it at the start of the following year’s competition.

They also have the dubious honour of setting next year’s competition!

Although Independents’ Day is under the aegis of CAMRA, you do not have to be a CAMRA member to take part, though of course we would be delighted if you decide to join us.